Game 20 vs FLA - Thoughts from the Morning After

[Great58]

What the hell is going on in this thread?

I freak out from time to time. My life is so miserable that my only enjoyment is watching a quality Pens game and my bar has been set too high from the 2009 championship.

Pens were 12-4-4 for 28 points after 20 games in the 2008-2009 season.
Currently they are 13-7 for 26 points.
Not so different?

[Gaucho]

So much for accountability.

[Idoit40fans]

What the hell is going on in this thread?

I freak out from time to time. My life is so miserable that my only enjoyment is watching a quality Pens game and my bar has been set too high from the 2009 championship.

Pens were 12-4-4 for 28 points after 20 games in the 2008-2009 season.
Currently they are 13-7 for 26 points.
Not so different?

So what you're saying is that they're about to tank down to 10th in the next 30 or so games?

[Froggy]

I miss 2007 when we went out in the first round in 5 games and people were just grateful we made the playoffs at all

[Great58]

What the hell is going on in this thread?

I freak out from time to time. My life is so miserable that my only enjoyment is watching a quality Pens game and my bar has been set too high from the 2009 championship.

Pens were 12-4-4 for 28 points after 20 games in the 2008-2009 season.
Currently they are 13-7 for 26 points.
Not so different?

So what you're saying is that they're about to tank down to 10th in the next 30 or so games?

My Magic 8 ball says ask again later.

[columbia]

I miss 2007 when we went out in the first round in 5 games and people were just grateful we made the playoffs at all

I'm still irritated that I didn't get to see that playoff series.....no cable for me at the time.

[Nizzy]

@Froggy its different when you lose in 2007 because it was young superstars coming together on their first playoffs together. In 2008 the Red Wings were amazing, the better, more experienced team, and we gave them a great series. Now the series we are losing are just disappointing, under achieving. I can handle a playoff loss, but if its with the coach looking completely clueless, with no control or discipline over the team, then its just a joke.

Lets say we fired Bylsma after the Philly series and hired any random coach. If that coach gets us to the ECF this year and we lose to Boston in 6-7 games I would be upset but realize that Boston is a great all around team. Luck is a small factor with injuries and such as well. However we aren't playing nearly where we should be.

[Idoit40fans]

I miss 2007 when we went out in the first round in 5 games and people were just grateful we made the playoffs at all

I miss 2006 and standing in line for a couple of hours for student rush while drinking the sprite bottles that were mostly vodka.

[Nizzy]

I remember early 2006 getting row A, second B seats still for 20 bucks.

Then all the Idiot 40 fans came back out of the fair weather clouds and bought all the seats again.

[MRandall25]

Why is Chicago a better team then us?

1. Is it drafting?
2. Made better trades?
3. Coaching?

Right now I'd say

4. Discipline, or lack thereof

It's probably a good thing they didn't get away with it last night.

Then its coaching!

No, it's players behaving like idiots.

That is the point of a coach, to train them how to avoid being idiots

And if the players continue to act like idiots (*cough* LETANG)?

[Nizzy]

I remember early 2006 getting row A, second B seats still for 20 bucks.

Then all the Idiot 40 fans came back out of the fair weather clouds and bought all the seats again.

and I didnt start making "okay money" until 2008 or I would've got season tickets ((((((((9

[Great58]

And if the players continue to act like idiots (*cough* LETANG)?

Letang's already been removed from the 1st PP.
Hard to bench someone like Malkin or Neal for their lazy penalties.
But I'd have benched TK last night for some of his decisions.

[thepittman]

And if the players continue to act like idiots (*cough* LETANG)?

Letang's already been removed from the 1st PP.
Hard to bench someone like Malkin or Neal for their lazy penalties.
But I'd have benched TK last night for some of his decisions.

I don't think TK had that bad of a game, now for the rest of the team...

[Froggy]

Yeah, as much hate as he draws, you have to remember that Kennedy is still just a guy that plays like 10 or 11 mins a night. He is largely irrelevant either way.

I know bashing him is what all the cool kids do, though

[Henry Hank]

Yeah, as much hate as he draws, you have to remember that Kennedy is still just a guy that plays like 10 or 11 mins a night. He is largely irrelevant either way.

I know bashing him is what all the cool kids do, though

What else is new. Pens fans fixate on the strangest things. Kennedy is easily playing his way off the team but he's a minor cog. Despres getting scratched occasionally to get Bortuzzo into the lineup while all the D are healthy is pretty inconsequential. The Pens are the second highest scoring team in hockey with the third best PP and yet still the "need" for a top six winger dominates discussion.

A day after the Pens give up 4 PP goals, why is Kennedy even a discussion piece? Kennedy's letting them down by not contributing secondary scoring. I could see that being more of an issue if the team wasn't scoring goals. He's not the reason they're giving up too many goals.

[meecrofilm]

Yeah, as much hate as he draws, you have to remember that Kennedy is still just a guy that plays like 10 or 11 mins a night. He is largely irrelevant either way.

I know bashing him is what all the cool kids do, though

Shouldn't you want your 3rd line to be relevant though? They were relevant when we won in 2009, and Kennedy was a part of it.

But agreed with HH. He's obviously not the team's biggest issue.

[Idoit40fans]

A wing has been the focus, and most people bring this up at the time of complaining, because Malkin has been largely irrelevant at even strength, and if thats the case, the Pens are going to be another early playoff exit.

[meecrofilm]

And if the players continue to act like idiots (*cough* LETANG)?

Letang's already been removed from the 1st PP.
Hard to bench someone like Malkin or Neal for their lazy penalties.
But I'd have benched TK last night for some of his decisions.

And put right back on it with Geno gone.

Letang's better suited for the second unit anyway. His biggest problem, his decision-making, and by extension, deferring to everyone, you'd think would be mostly corrected, as he wouldn't feel the need to defer to less-talented players, and maybe takes the bull by the horns a bit more.

[Froggy]

I'd say our biggest issues are even strength scoring depth and the combined issue of taking too many penalties and not doing a good enough job killing them off.

[Gaucho]

I don't mind Letang on the PP as long he doesn't run it.

[meecrofilm]

I don't mind Letang on the PP as long he doesn't run it.

He's incapable of running it, so it's a moot point. He's still going to touch the puck, so yeah. No likey.

[Luckybreak]

There is nothing that frustrates me more right now than the lack of discipline that this team exhibits on a regular basis. I don’t lay responsibility for this at Bylsma’s feet. I don’t know what he’s saying to the troops, but I’d be willing to bet he’s saying something, and that it’s not complimentary. The bottom line, however, is that these guys are supposedly professionals who should not need the boss riding them in order to do the job they are being paid (and handsomely) to do. Where is their sense of responsibility, their pride for heaven’s sake? After each of these penalty-filled losses, the players shake their heads, say their mea culpas, express their disappointment. What I want to know is, when will their on-ice behaviour change so that their words no longer ring hollow? Talk is cheap; it’s all about actions.

Good points. Just watched the game on center ice, was a frustrating loss for many reasons. My thoughts:

-Letang made awful decisions but he looked to play the entire 1st changing partners. Was Bort stapled to the bench till the 2nd?
-Bad calls both ways, Pens made it worse for themselves.
-TK had a few good plays and did very well erasing them with some long and loud brain farts.
-Can't blame Vokoun, not good but 4PP goals = pass IMO.
-Jeffrey played extremely well and deserves to stay in the lineup when Geno back, but I felt the same about Despres and he's scratched far too often.
-Martin has been the most reliable D, has also unleashed parts of his game I thought were non-existent! Kudos, my spoon is buried in a bucket of crow

[Idoit40fans]

If you're blaming a team for lack of discipline, you ahve to be blaming the coach. Many of these guys were on the cup winning team, so they are capable of playing disciplined hockey. If it isn't them, its the coach. Even if it is them, its probably on the coach. It doesn't matter what someone thinks "should" be the case, it happens all the way across pro hockey, the coach IS necessary to keep players playing the right way.

[Luckybreak]

If you're blaming a team for lack of discipline, you ahve to be blaming the coach. Many of these guys were on the cup winning team, so they are capable of playing disciplined hockey. If it isn't them, its the coach. Even if it is them, its probably on the coach. It doesn't matter what someone thinks "should" be the case, it happens all the way across pro hockey, the coach IS necessary to keep players playing the right way.

Suspect Bylsma may be tuned out, so whilst he almost certainly is trying, he may not be able to right the ship.

[MRandall25]

But if it's only 1 player, what do you do?

If he were tuned out by the team, they wouldn't be winning/in 1st.